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Through our very own editors and guest writers, this blog will discuss the INSIDE scoop on the admissions process of various schools and programs. If you wish to ask a specific question, please write to us, and we will make every attempt to address your questions in our future blog discussions.
Friday, December 22, 2017
Early Admission: What to Do if You're Deferred
The first rounds of early admissions result are in, with no great surprises. As expected, admissions rates at this stage are higher than regular admissions. The Ivies, as usual, gain a lot of traction in media reports because their overall acceptance percentages are already so low. Some Ivies reported an increase in early admission applications, which translates seamlessly into even lower early acceptance rates.

If you understood that first paragraph, it's probably because we're speaking the same language. The legendary chaos and competitiveness of college admissions is eclipsed only by its hyperbolic escalation each year. Penn, for instance, just admitted 18.5% of early applicants-a record low. At Stanford, almost as many students were deferred as accepted. So, what to do if you're a student embroiled in an early-onset waiting game?

For a start, don't hold your breath. Get the rest of your regular deadline applications out, and be well invested in them. Find out the university's policy on deferrals-some will accept updated materials, and some prohibit them. Don't alienate admissions officers by bombarding them with new information if it violates their practice. If they welcome updates, be sure you're sending only the most critical ones-changes in test scores, compelling awards, or notable community service.

And though I've mentioned Ivies here, the other golden piece of advice to try and steer clear of the annual hysteria surrounding declining acceptance rates. It's a numbers game, and as more students apply, more necessarily get declined. There are over 4,000 universities and colleges in the U.S. Focusing on the top one percent is a phenomenal waste of energy.

Particularly when you need to invest it in something more important: patience.

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